Nov 06 - GSD Calls for Clarity on Nature Protection Act Amendment
In a statement on the effect of the recent amendments made by the Government to the Nature Protection Act, the GSD has called upon the Chief Minister to state publicly whether members of the La Linea and Algeciras fishing associations will have to apply for a licence in Gibraltar, or if they will be allowed to fish by virtue of their existing membership of their ‘Cofradias’.
The amendments, passed in Parliament, allow Spanish fishermen to fish with certain nets, as long as they have a license to do so. Commenting on the matter, the GSD added, ‘It will also be recalled that when the Opposition called for a change in the law to allow regulated fishing with EU compliant nets, the Government responded by saying that the term “EU compliant nets” was just a euphemism for “Spanish nets”. The line then propagated by the GSLP machinery was that the GSD and its Leader were being soft on Spain by calling for a change in the law. Yet, throughout the recent by-election we were very clear that that remained our position, whereas it was not clear at all what the Government’s intentions were. Indeed, when the Fishing Report was published just before the by-election, Dr Cortes was asked several times by a GBC reporter whether Spanish fishermen would be allowed to fish with nets and he declined to answer.’
The Opposition repeats its condemnation of the Spanish Government’s ‘unlawful and immoral conduct, which in every respect is reprehensible’. The party questions what has been achieved ‘in the last 18 months since the Fishing Agreement was dispensed with, only to end up in a situation where the fishermen will be allowed to fish?’
A GSD statement continues, ‘Acting earlier may or may not have staved off much of what has transpired, but it cannot be seriously doubted that the handling of the fishing issue has contributed to make things much worse. It has, for example, forced the Government to be reactive rather than proactive.
‘To tear up the 1999 Agreement on Facebook, without having anything to replace it with was a serious error of judgment –unfortunately not the only one- committed by Mr Picardo.
‘The fact is that every time Mr Picardo opens his mouth on these issues, there is a collective holding of nervous breath amongst reasonable people who understand that there are bigger fish to fry than the conservation of fisheries in BGTW. That whilst we do not have a fishing industry to protect, we do have an economy, a finance centre industry, a tourist industry, a gaming industry and many small businesses in Main Street and elsewhere to protect.
‘True to our many statements on this issue, we would have supported the Bill in Parliament, but we believe we have achieved nothing (and jeopardised much) in the way the Government has handled this issue.’
